Greener Lindfield and community groups champion sustainability

By Nicky Holbrook

Many residents will know us for our monthly Greener Lindfield article or for our much-loved annual Seed & Plant Swap at the Repair Café, but Greener Lindfield is more than a single group – it’s a collaboration of passionate, local volunteers who work together to champion sustainable greener gardening across our village.

Greener Lindfield is an amalgamation of several fantastic community groups, each contributing their own expertise and energy. We meet to share ideas and support one another’s projects.
Here we introduce each group and we are always excited to welcome new voices, ideas and new groups who share our passion for a greener future.

Friends of Eastern Road Nature Reserve
A conservation group that helps to protect and promote the local nature reserve. They meet on the second Sunday of every month to undertake tasks such as path maintenance, vegetation clearance, and wildlife monitoring. New volunteers are always welcome, whether it’s getting your hands dirty or helping out behind the scenes. www.easternroadnaturereserve.org.uk

Share Haywards Heath
A Library of Things where you can borrow a wide range of items, rather than buying new. They have been operating for over two years and have made over 700 loans to date. You can see all the items they have to lend by going to their website. Items are usually borrowed for a week and most cost 50p or £1 a day. www.sharehh.org.uk

Lindfield in Bloom
The current group reformed after Covid and look after the gardens around Lind-field Medical Centre. With six members, they are all like-minded amateur gardeners who get together to care for the gardens, weeding and planting any donated plants. To join the friendly group email John Stevens at john.stevens2010@gmail.com.

Lindfield Horticultural Society
Much has changed in the way they garden over the years. Unlike their predecessors, who attempted to tame and constrain nature, current members work alongside it to create gardens and allotments that are both beautiful and productive and encourage wildlife. www.lindfieldhorts.org.uk

The Co-op
Local Co-op Member Activator, Alison explains: “The Co-op recognises the importance of championing a better way of doing business and doing the right thing for people and the planet. To do this, we work collaboratively and co-operatively with our members, customers and community connections, including supporting local initiatives with Our Local Community Fund.” www.coop.co.uk/membership

Lindfield Parish Council
The council is committed to protecting the village’s natural environment. During 2025, the Climate Change Working Group progressed initiatives including a grass verge pilot scheme (details available early 2026). They met with neighbouring councils to share good practice e.g. on the wonderful Hurst Meadows that inspired everyone in the management of Wilderness Field. They installed two hot bin composters to reduce green waste and a swift nesting box that awaits four new families in 2026. www.lindfieldparishcouncil.gov.uk/ Climate_Change_32316.aspx

Fairer World Lindfield
A climate and environmental action group whose aim is to raise awareness and encourage individual and collective action to help combat the climate and ecological crisis. This year, they supported local primary school assemblies, held events on topics such as fast fashion, honey bees, the digital carbon footprint, plus last spring, a ‘Green Extravaganza’ celebrating the magic of soil. www.fairerworldlindfield.org

Lindfield Open Gardens
Organised with and for St Peter and St James Hospice, every summer, eight to 12 gardens are showcased to raise funds for the hospice. New participants are always welcome to experience the joy of sharing their passion for plants, wildlife and nature with our community. www.lindfield-gardens.co.uk

Our Nature Watch
A small, thriving local nature group around Lindfield and Walstead who spot, share and improve the place we live in together to support all sorts of nature in any way we can. www.ournaturewatch.com

Heather Martin
A local garden designer who shares her great knowledge of plants and the natural environment.

Colin McFarlin
A Volunteer Waste Prevention Advisor, he trained over ten years ago with Brighton University and receives regular updates on recycling from WSCC and the government. Colin actively supports the local community and, “It is so rewarding to be able to answer your questions on recycling, and if one person is able to recycle one more item correctly, then I have done my job!” www.facebook.com/colin.mcfarlin.7

Find Greener Lindfield on Facebook @GreenerLindfield or email greenerlindfield@gmail.com.

Make your own Christmas wreath at home with help from Greener Lindfield

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Make Your Own Christmas Wreath
By Herta and Anna Kingdom

Christmas is a great time to do something creative and I love using natural, local, and free materials to brighten up the home. Why not go foraging and create your own unique wreath to adorn the front door and create a festive welcome?

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Materials you’ll need:
- Sharp scissors or secateurs
- String or thin wire wrapped around peg
- Wreath base (see step 1)
- Foliage

Step 1: Make a wreath base
I often find long bits of hazel, willow or dogwood in the woods. These can be bent round and round to make a round base, and then tied with string. There is a bit of a knack to it, but give it a few goes and it does not need to be a perfect circle. Alternatives are any kind of round structure/ring you can find.

Step 2: Go foraging
Go for a walk in the park or local woods. Look in your own garden or visit a friend’s if you don’t have one. Foliage that keeps well is often fairly firm and includes all conifers, eucalyptus, yew, and holly. To avoid holly prickles, pick from higher up or use gloves.

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Step 3: Prepare the materials
It helps if you cut all the greenery into lengths of about 10cm in advance, and remove leaves from the bottom, ready to use. Place the foliage into little bunches.

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Step 4: Start
Tie the string round the base to start and then lay a bunch against your ring. Secure by winding the string/wire around it. Take another bunch and lay it slightly further along. Again, secure with the string/wire. Carry on all the way round.

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Step 5: A neat end
Once you get all the way round, tuck the stems of the last bunch under the ends of the first bunch. Tie a strong knot to finish off. You may be able to see the join but probably nobody else will notice!

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Step 6: Final adornments
Even at this stage, extra bits of foliage or berries can be pushed in amongst the rest. You can also add bows, pinecones or baubles.

And … display the wreath on your front door for all to see.

Two extra tips:
1) Spray your wreath with water every day or so to keep it fresh for as long as possible.

2) I always use cut-offs from my Christmas tree.

Information on Greener Lindfield can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/greenerlindfield; or email greenerlindfield@gmail.com.

Greener Lindfield is here to support sustainable gardening practices

In partnership with Lindfield Rural Parish Council and several local organisations including Lindfield Horticultural Society and Fairer World Lindfield, Lindfield Parish Council are pleased to launch Greener Lindfield, an exciting new initiative bringing together groups, individuals and businesses across the village to encourage and support sustainable gardening practices.

The aims of this alliance are to help local residents find ways to reduce garden waste, improve biodiversity, protect wildlife, and promote alternatives to harmful chemicals. We plan to achieve this by bringing people together to share existing knowledge and generate new ideas, and by encouraging everyone to take the initiative and try something new. If we all work together we really can make a difference.

Lindfield Life have kindly invited us to contribute a monthly article with hints, tips and ideas for combining a love of gardening with a love of the environment. But we’re far from experts, so would love to hear from anyone who has suggestions or who has made their own contribution towards greening the village, which we could support and possibly emulate. In addition to these articles, please join our Facebook group or email us on greenerlindfield@gmail.com if you’re interested in becoming involved in this exciting new project and have ideas to share, whether as an individual or part of a group or business.

March is generally considered to be the start of the gardening year, and now is a great time to think about sowing seeds. Even if you haven’t grown flowers or produce from scratch before, why not try sowing a few seeds in a pot on the windowsill? Perhaps some tasty tomatoes, or flowers like marigolds which will not only add a splash of colour, but also encourage pollinators and deter pests.

Our goal is to stimulate a dialogue throughout Lindfield, working as an umbrella organisation to draw together and increase visibility on existing projects and to provide a forum to support and empower everyone to get involved. Just like with the seeds, if we can provide the right conditions for growth, who knows what we might achieve!